Optimized Flexibility

When someone starts investing in renewable energies, they often find themselves confronted with plenty of skepticism. “There were concerns that reflections off the solar modules would interfere with air traffic at the nearby airport,” explains Thorsten Boomhuis, CEO of the solar power station Klausheide GmbH & Co. KG. But these concerns, like so many others, turned out to be unfounded, and there were no hurdles to clear before constructing the ten-hectare solar power station in southwest Lower Saxony. The company SUNICS Solar GmbH is in charge of development, maintenance and supervision at the solar power station.

Next Kraftwerke and the Klausheide solar park have been partners since March 2013. Next Kraftwerke trades the power produced by the park on the spot market – with no downside for the plant operators. Instead, the new setup helps them generate additional revenue: “When the power prices are negative, the solar park can be controlled by the Next Box, a remote control unit operated by Next Kraftwerke,” said Boomhuis. “Using the Virtual Power Plant optimally markets our solar power and helps us maximize revenues.”
Choosing Next Kraftwerke as a partner is a decision Boomhuis has never regretted. “Competence and low market-entry costs convinced us right from the beginning,” he says. “The integration into the Virtual Power Plant and the installation of the Next Box worked without any problems.” He adds, “Next Kraftwerke is a very flexible partner. We have a dedicated contact person for our concerns and the daily cooperation works flawlessly.”